Deciding Factor
by christinap
Summary: Bosco fights with his concience over Cruz...and it will cost him. Mucho Bos angst. Complete.
1. Cruz

"Come on, Bosco, you're going to be late again!" Faith sighed exasperatedly. "Our first day back together on the job and you're going to get us trouble."

"Lay, off, will ya? Geez!" Bosco hurriedly put his uniform shirt on. "You're not my mom, ya know!"

"I knew there was a God." Faith said dryly. Then she chuckled. "Thank you Lord, that Bosco's not my son!" 

Bosco rolled his eyes. "Real funny, Yokas. Just don't you forget that we _are _partners, sweetheart." he said with a smirk.

"Exactly!" Faith yelled, startling the smirk off of Bosco's face. "Now get in there _before_ roll call!"

"Alright, alright." Bosco rose from tying his shoes and hurried after Faith.

After roll was called the Lieutenant announced some changes to the schedules. "Yokas, you and Boscorelli, as you know, have been reassigned to 55 David. Your regular patrol starts today. Sgt. Cruz, you have done a great job finding the vics of those dealers and you deserve a break, so you and the partner you requested will be starting desk duty today. Officer Thomas has just been accepted into the force. You and he will be riding a desk for a while."

"What! No way!" Cruz exclaimed.

"What's the matter Sergeant? Afraid all the bad guys will get away if Cruz ain't there to save the day?" Bosco said scoffing. Laughter followed. Even Faith had to smile. Cruz looked at Bosco and her perpetual frown twisted into a hateful grimace. 

One look at Cruz's face and the Lieutenant wiped the smile off his face. "Bosco…" he said. 

Bosco looked up innocently. "Yeah, Lieu?" 

The Lieutenant rolled his eyes. _The guy is impossible_, he thought. "All right, now. Cruz, I expect to see you at the desk today. You, too, Thomas. Everyone else, your shifts start now."

Faith slowly rose. "Bosco, I swear, one of these days you're going to really tick her off and there'll be hell to pay." 

"So what? What do you think she's going to do, shoot me? Get real, Yokas." Bosco laughed. "Maybe I'll tick her off and you'll have to protect me. Then you guys can have a wrestling match. Maybe even a fistfight. And I get to watch."

Faith tried to gasp in shock but the mental image was too funny. "Bosco, you're a pig, you know that?" she laughed, slapping him on the arm.

"Hey, save it for Cruz!" he yelped. 

"There's plenty left. C'mon now, let's go before the lieu yells at us."

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"Not a damn thing. We didn't do a damn thing today. Drove around like morons. The only good call of the day comes in we were writing up a little parking ticket. This is New York City, for God's sake! Where is all the action?" Bosco stormed as he put on his street clothes. 

"Bosco, forget about it. For one day in the damn year we are not stormed with calls. You should be happy." Faith sighed. If she had to put up with one more Bosco mood…

"_Happy?_ If I wanted some time off I would have stayed home watching a ball game or something. My idea of a day off is not sitting in a police car for hours." Bosco grumbled.

Faith tried to change the subject. "I wonder how Cruz is doing riding a desk." She grinned. She didn't like Cruz, didn't trust her. "I like it better when she's at the station because she's not exactly who I'd want backing me up if something went down. She's too volatile."

"Tell me about it." Bosco grimaced. "You know what, I'm going to go find her and give her a little grief." He grinned as Faith groaned. 

"Bosco…" He was gone. Faith sighed again. _What a kid…_she though.

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Bosco smirked as he made his way to the office where Cruz was working. He liked giving Cruz trouble when he knew there was nothing she could do about it. He was about to open the door when he heard Cruz's voice raised in anger. Bosco figured she must be on the phone since he didn't hear anyone else in the room. He couldn't help but overhear the next words. 

"Now I'm on damn desk duty! I _told_ you we were going too fast, getting too many to say that they were attacked. Sure, I had a lot of guys put away, but now what am I doing? Riding a damn desk! As a _reward_, no less." Cruz spat. "What's that? _Get over_ it? Who the hell are you to tell me that? You are working for me. I do the thinking, and you do the footwork. Do you think it's easy to get a dealer convicted for an assault that never happened? Yeah? I didn't think so. Look, we _need_ to be putting these guys away. They would never get convicted if it wasn't for me…ok, ok, for _us. _You know what the hell I meant._" _

Bosco turned away slowly. He wasn't quite sure what that one-sided conversation had meant, but it had sounded illegal. He remembered when Cruz had threatened to plant drugs on that guy, but he didn't think she would actually have someone lie to lock a dealer in jail. He shook his head. Dealers deserved to be in jail anyway. He walked away.


	2. The Call

The next day in the patrol car Faith could tell that something was bothering Bosco. 

"Bosco…" she started.

"What." he snapped. He started. "I'm sorry, Faith. Let's try again. What?"

"You know that you can tell me anything. If you want to tell me what's bothering you, you know that I'll listen." She tried to speak as gently as possible.

"Yeah, I know, Faith. I know." His voice sounded lost…like a child. Faith fought the maternal instincts rising in her because she knew that Bosco did not appreciate them…or maybe he did. Maybe he just didn't want her to know that he was glad she cared so much.

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"Faith, can I ask you something?" Bosco said hesitantly. He stuffed his things into his locker. 

Faith looked up from the sneaker she was tying. "Sure, Bos, anything." _Thank God,_ she thought. She hated it when Bos brooded, rather than asking for help or just opening up to her.

"Yeah, it's like this." He paused. Faith said nothing. She just nodded. "If someone did something illegal, like lie about someone or set someone up, but the person being set up deserves to be in jail, is that wrong? Should I just let it go? I hate the thought of her breaking the law, but it's a good thing in the end. They can't hurt anyone else this way." He looked at her. Waiting.

"Bos…" She didn't know what to say. Her mouth was dry. "Bos, if you're asking me this, you already know the answer." 

"Yeah." He looked down. "I know." 

"Excuse, me, Boscorelli?" It was Officer Thomas.

"Yeah? Can't you see I'm busy here?" Bosco snapped. Faith hid a grin. 

"It's about Sergeant Cruz. She had something for me to tell you." 

"Alright." 

Faith frowned. He had backed down awful fast.

"Faith, can you give us a minute?" 

"Bos…"

"Please, Faith. I'll see you tomorrow, ok? Bye." She knew him well enough to realize he was serious.

"Ok, Bos, tomorrow." She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she shoved it down. _He's a grown man, Faith. He's not your son._

"Yeah, Thomas, what do you want?" He was nervous. "What about Cruz? Why would I know anything about her?"

"Well, aside from the fact that she told me you guys had a 'thing'," Thomas paused as Bosco's face darkened, "I know about her too."

Bosco frowned. "Yeah? Really? What the hell does that mean? What the hell are you playing at?"

"Nothing." Thomas hurried to explain. "I heard you talking to Yokas and I knew who you were talking about."

"How would you know that?" Bosco scoffed. But he believed Thomas.

"Come on, Boscorelli. I'm her partner. I overheard her saying something about the framings. It's wrong and she needs to be stopped. Right? Do you agree with me?" He looked sincere. What's not to believe?

"Yeah. I do. I surprise my own self, but I do. Those guys are bastards and belong in jail, but how can I enforce the law and break it at the same time? I may be a lot of things, but I ain't no hypocrite. God - why the hell am I telling you this?" 

"Would you do me a favor, sir?" Thomas paused. "Let me be the one."

__

"What? The who?"

"Let me be the one to report this…I'm her partner, after all." He waited, inner self anxious for Bosco's reponse.

"Are you sure? 'Cause I can do it for you, ya know. Hell, I'll do it. You've only been here one day and you already gotta turn your partner in…it's not right. Let me take this for ya." He offered. He felt sorry for this guy. Felt sorry for Cruz, although he sure as hell was not gonna admit to _that._

"No!" _Easy now,_ he reminded himself sharply. "Please…I need to do this myself, please understand."

Bosco thought. _Poor kid. Poor Cruz. What a mess. _He looked up. "All right. Have it your way, kid. Good luck." He started to walk away, then turned. "Hey, kid. If you need anything, you know you can look me up. Anytime. I mean it."

"Yeah, thanks…Bosco."

"Sure, kid. See ya."

Thomas waited until Bosco was out of sight. He pulled out a cell phone. Dialed. "It's me. Listen, Boscorelli knows. About you and me…How the hell would I know? I find out he knows and I'm gonna ask him how he found out? I don't think so. No, he didn't tell anyone else. He was talking to Yokas but he didn't say anything about you specifically…no, he was just general. He asked her if he should turn in someone doing something illegal for a good cause or some crap like that.. I told him I would report it…You want me to do _what?_ No way in hell! Hey…calm down…ok…yeah, give me his name. I'll talk to him and see if he's up for the job. Ok, got it. No, I didn't write it down." He crumbled the piece of paper. "Ok, by-" He grimaced as he hit the end button. He shook his head. "God, I hate this."

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Cruz fingered the vest. She smiled. Too bad for Boscorelli.

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This is my first fic so be kind!! Please r&r!!


	3. His Best Friend

"So, Bosco, you ok about yesterday?" Faith asked her partner.

"Yesterday?" He stalled. Hoping she would leave it alone. Leave him alone. But he didn't. Not really. His thoughts were drifting. _Get a grip, Boscorelli._

"Yeah, remember? Do you wanna talk about it?" She didn't want to push him too hard. 

"No, everything's ok. I settled it. Ok?" he said abruptly. _Whoa, there, Boscorelli. Faith is your partner. She is the best thing in your life. Don't shut her out._ He shoved down the thoughts that kept crowding his brain. Overwhelming him. 

He couldn't believe he had been so stupid. When he went to Cruz's house the night her sister died he stayed. Why? He knew the reason now. Pity. He'd felt so sorry for her. He had been hurt a lot. Let down by his brother, his mom, most of all his dad. He couldn't stand to see anyone in pain. 

"Stupid, stupid. Why do I care? Why do I bother?"

"Because that's who you are, Bosco. Get used to it. That's your best quality. Why do you think I put up with you?"

_Huh?_ He looked up to see Faith's eyes. They were smiling.

"Did I just say that out loud? Damn." 

"Don't be sorry for feeling empathy, Bos. Never. You're too good a guy." She meant it with all her heart.

"Ya think?" He smiled. Then grinned. "Ya love me, don't ya? Huh? Wanna get married now?" 

_Brat_, thought Faith, but she was smiling. "Sure, Bos. In your dreams, sweetie."

They put on their uniforms and vests in silence. A comfortable silence.

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"Got it? 55-3. The guy only. Good. Thanks." Thomas hung up the phone.

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	4. The Crash

"Well, that was fun. Two lost kids, six domestic disputes, three bar fights…It's your day for paperwork, I hope you know." Bosco looked over at his partner as he drove towards the precinct.

Faith rolled her eyes. "For your information, yeah, I did know. But you're not leaving until I'm finished with it, Boscorelli." 

He looked at her in alarm. "What? You can't do that to me. I got a date right after the shift!" 

She tried to keep the smile off her face. _He's so gullible_, she thought, smiling. "Got you!"

"Huh? Aww…one of the days I'm going to get you back, and when I do…well, lets just say that Boscorelli justice is -"

Faith interrupted him, laughing. "Get over yourself already, Boscorelli. I have."

"Yup, I always knew you had a thing for me, Yokas. I'm sorry, but as I said, I have a date tonight so you can forget about it, sweetheart." _I'm in trouble now,_ he thought, fighting a grin.

She was laughing so hard her sides hurt. "Bosco, another word outta your mouth and I'm gonna say I'm feeling sick and you're gonna have to do all the paperwork!" 

He opened his mouth. Slowed to a stop as the light turned.

"I said no!" she laughed. "I mean it, Bos, one more word - "

_Crash._ Someone rear-ended the RMP. Hard. Whiplash.

"Damn!" Bos tore his seatbelt off and jumped out of the car. The car that hit them, an old green Volvo, backed up quickly. Then it stopped.

"Where do you think you're going, huh, jag-off?" He stalked toward the car. Faith climbed out of the RMP holding her neck. _Damn_, she thought, _how stupid can you be to hit a police car?_

Bosco banged on the closed window. "Get out of the car, now!" he shouted. The window came down. Bosco started. He tried to duck, but it was too late.

Faith looked on in unbelief as two gunshots rang out and her partner fell. The Volvo screeched away. "Bosco!" she screamed. Fear. Heavy. It hurts…

_Keep it together, Faith, don't panic._

She ran toward him. "I have an officer down, I need a bus. Bosco's been shot. Get it here _fast._" _He has to be ok. _She was relieved when she saw the bullets had hit his vest. She knelt beside him. He was motionless. She touched the vest. Saw the holes.

"Oh, my god." She froze. There was blood. A lot. "No…please." Tears clouded her vision and her voice was hoarse with emotion. _Do something, Faith._

She gently removed his vest and tried to stop the bleeding. She reached for her radio. "What the hell is taking that bus so long? I need it now. Bosco's been hit!" She was screaming. Pressing against the bullet holes. Her hands were red. She was shaking.

Sirens. They were coming closer. _Hang on, Bos. Please…_

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	5. The Hospital

She tried to answer the questions. Her mind was in a daze. "It was a green Volvo, I think…yeah. No, I didn't see his face. It was definitely a guy, though. I saw his arm when he shot…when he fired. It was really muscular. Just look for a green Volvo with white paint all over the front." She looked at the officer. _No more…_she pleaded inwardly. "I've got to go now."

"Wait." The officer put his hand on her arm. "I'm really sorry about Officer Boscorelli, but if you remember anything else, please call me."

"Sure. Anything to get that bastard." _When they find him I'm gonna tear him to pieces._ She was surprised at the hate she felt. She knew better than to react like this. But it felt good, releasing. She wanted to feel it. She looked at her hands. They were trembling. 

A hand touched her on the shoulder. She gasped. Turned around.

"What happened to him? Is he ok?" She asked the ER doctor. "Is he alive?" Her breath caught in her throat. _Just say it, damn it, _she thought as he hesitated.

"First of all, Officer Boscorelli is stable. That's the good news." He paused again.

_Thank God._

"The bad thing is that while the bullets missed his heart, they hit his left lung collapsing it. Since both bullets hit it from such close range, it's damaged pretty badly."

She didn't want to ask. "Will he need a transplant?"

He hurried to assure her. "No, nothing like that. What will happen is that he will need to be on a respirator for a few days until his lung starts healing. Right now he can't breathe without it."

"He's not gonna like that." She tried to laugh. She couldn't. "Can I see him?" _Please._

"We put him in a coma-like state so he could start healing without any complications on his part. From his record," he looked down at it and chuckled, "he doesn't like hospitals and wouldn't like the idea of the respirator. But you can go in and see him if you want."

"Thanks, doc."

He smiled. "Anytime."

_Or not,_ she thought bitterly. _Bosco, if you ever do this to me again…_

Before she went to see Bosco, she headed to a pay phone to call the station and tell Fred she would be at the hospital tonight.

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"So how is Boscorelli?" Thomas asked the Lieu. Nervously.

"I don't know. Some of the guys are down at the hospital, they will call when they know something." The phone rang. The Lieutenant picked it up. "Yokas? How is he? Really? Well, that'sgood. You going to be there? Alright. Listen, don't come in tomorrow. Yeah. Sure, Yokas. Thanks for calling. Ok, bye." He hung up and looked at the small cluster of people who had anxiously gathered to hear the news. "Bosco's not good, but he's alive, and it looks like he's going to stay that way!"

Thomas tried to swallow but his throat was dry. He made his way to Cruz's office. Opened the door. She looked up. "Yeah? What do you want?"

He spoke. "He's alive."

Her eyes snapped open. "What?"

"You heard me. He didn't die." 

Her black eyes snapped. "Fix it."

"What do you expect me to do? I think it's gone far enough. I don't want to do this anymore." He felt sick.

"You'll do it or you'll be in jail right alongside me. Now just do it! If you are too much of a wimp, call Paul again." She wasn't kidding. "I'm sure he can think of something." She chuckled. Heartless. Cold. _Evil._

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The man paused. He entered the closet. When he emerged again he was dressed as a nurse. He hade his way to room 215. Bosco's room. Yokas was not there. _Good,_ he though. His hand paused over the respirator plug. He smiled and pulled it out of the wall. Alarms went off.

__

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

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	6. The Test Pt 1

Faith awoke from her chair in the lobby. Near Bosco's room. The nightmares…reliving the terror. Alarms…coming from where? A nurse hurrying somewhere. She neared Bosco's room. She went in. _Oh my God._ It was Bosco. Faith froze. _No…_

The nurse screamed. A man rushed out of the room and fled down the hallway. Muscular arms…Faith snapped. She tore after the man. Down the hallway. Out the doors. Into the parking lot. Every muscle strained…

She dove, hit him in the back. They went down. He didn't move. She pulled his hands behind him and put the cuffs on. He groaned and lunged to his feet. Blood was all over his face. His nose was smashed. Faith searched for a gun but he was without one. 

She jerked him toward the hospital. He cursed. Tried to wrest away but she put her gun in his back. "I have no reservations whatsoever about putting a bullet in you, bastard, not after what you did to my partner. So help me God, if you try _anything,_ I will put two in you, just like you did to Bosco." She spat. She grabbed her radio. "Central, I have apprehended the perp. Get me some backup to transport him. And get this - he actually had the nerve to come back and try to kill Bos again." She jammed the gun into his back. Hard. He gasped.

"Tried? I pulled his plug. He's dead, sister. Didn't you hear the alarms going off?" He laughed. He actually laughed. 

She closed her eyes. _Wait, Faith, just wait…_

"Move, jag-off." She was amazed at how calm she felt.

She walked him over to a small cleaning closet. Opened the door. 

"I'm not going in there!" He shouted. Faith shrugged. "Ok." She hit him over the head with her gun. Hard. He fell into the closet, unconscious. She shut the door. Ran toward Bos's room. Doctors and nurses filled the small cubicle. 

"He's in fib and he's not breathing, Doctor." A nurse spoke.

Faith's head swam and her sight grew blurry. Sound was distorted. "Bos, please, stay with me." She pleaded. She saw his face. A memory. He was smiling. They were laughing at something. 

"Give me 250."

He looked at her. Their eyes connected. She gasped, it was so real. 

"Give me 300. Damn it."

She slowly came back to reality. She saw his hand, hanging over the side of the bed. It was so white. So still. She knelt beside the bed and took his hand in hers. Willed him back with every fiber of her heart and soul. _I need you, Bosco. Don't leave me like this. It's not right. Don't do this to me. I mean it. I'm not gonna let you go. I need you. _

"Still in fib, doctor. Should we call it?" 

Faith slowly looked up. Eyes pleaded with the doctor's. He looked at her sadly. Tears came to her eyes and overflowed. She shook her head.

Something like resolve filled the eyes of the doctor. He looked at the nurse. "Not on my watch. Charge to 350!" His energy rebounded throughout the room and the nurses started working again with new vigor. He placed the paddles on Bosco's chest. Bosco's limp body convulsed at the electrical charge surging throughout him. They waited. 

"We've got a sinus rhythm, Doctor. It's...stabilizing around 60." He sighed in relief, wiped the sweat off his forehead. Faith thanked him with her eyes. He left. 

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	7. The Test Pt 2

Faith stalked toward the closet door. The man was awake. He was yelling and banging on the door. _Bastard. _She could hear sirens outside. Backup. 

She opened the door. Looked at him with disgust. "Get the hell up now." 

"Make me." He spat. She hauled him up by the handcuffs, making him wince in pain. She put her face close to his. "Don't tempt me, mister. I'm warning you, _don't tempt me._" She paused. "Guess what? My partner, Bos, who you tried to kill twice, he's fine. He's gonna be good as new. I'm gonna find out why you tried to kill him. You'd better be ready to talk when you get to the station, 'cause if you wait, then I'm gonna be the one asking questions, and you won't like that at all."

"Oh, yeah, I'm real scared. Whatcha gonna do, bitch?" His face was a sneer.

Faith saw red. She hit him across the face with the back of her fist. Screamed at him. She didn't even know what she said. She grabbed him and slammed him into the wall. He slumped to the ground.

"Yokas! That's enough!" Sully appeared at her side and grabbed her in his arms, restraining her. She put her head on his shoulder and just sobbed. "Shh, it's ok. Bosco's ok, isn't he?"

She nodded. "He is now. But he almost died, Sully. He almost died right there. I was holding his hand and I felt him slipping away. If it wasn't for that doctor…" She shuddered. "He'd be dead."

"But he's not dead. He's alive. That's all that matters right now. That's all." He paused. "Do you wanna go home or do want me to get you a cot for Bosco's room?"

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I'm not leaving Bos."

He nodded. "Ok. Be right back."

Ty was standing over the man, who was coming to. "You picked the wrong team to mess with, dude. Faith Yokas is one hell of wildcat." 

The man groaned. "Go to hell."

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"We have a positive ID on the perp, a Drew Paul. He's wanted on minor charges. Nothing too big. Nothing like this." The officer handed the file to the Lieutenant. He looked it over. "Why would he shoot Boscorelli for a traffic stop? There's something else going on here. Send someone to find out his address, number, all that stuff, and get back to me." He frowned. He called to another officer. "That vest in from forensics yet?" The officer shook his head. "Another couple hours, Lieu." Swersky looked up as Yokas walked in.

"Yokas!" She turned in the direction of his voice. "I told you not to come in today."

"Yeah, well, I'm here. I'm gonna sit on that guy 'til he cracks." 

"You're not getting anywhere near him. I have a detective in there now. You can watch if you want, though." She started to argue. "Hey - I mean it. No amount of arguing is going to make me change my mind." She nodded. "Ok, Lieu." She took Paul's file from the Lieutenant. "This his?"

"Yeah. Go ahead and look over it." Faith nodded.

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The detective was talking to the Lieutenant. "He says someone ordered the hit but he's not rollin' over just yet. You want us to try again today?"

"No. Let's just see what our investigation digs up. And the lab reports."

Thomas watched from the shadows. He had to get to Paul before he spilled everything.

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	8. The Paper

Cruz held up a tiny plastic bag containing a white finely ground powder. "Figure out some way to get this in his food."

Thomas raised his eyes in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Do I look stupid? You think they won't do an autopsy?"

She grabbed him by the collar. "Are you inferring that _I'm_ stupid, ass?"

"N-no." he stuttered.

"Good. Because I know what the hell I'm doing. It's untraceable." She smirked.

_I'd better never piss her off_, Thomas though,_ who knows what'd happen to me._ He shuddered. 

"What's the matter? Getting a weak stomach? You know better than that. Why waste all the trouble of making it through the Academy so I can have a partner who understands what I'm doing, and you're going to trash all that because you're a wimp?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I know we're doing the right thing, it just seems to get bigger and bigger. I guess I just think we might not be able to handle it." 

Her voice was sharp. "Our families stuck on drugs, we couldn't do anything about. This, we _can._"

_At what cost…_ he though. _At what cost?_

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Faith sat on the locker room bench holding her head in her hands. Thinking. _Bosco's going to be ok,_ she though,_ so what's wrong with me?_ Even as the words crossed her consciousness, she knew the answer. It would be easier if she could blame herself, beat herself up about it. But this way, it was hell. It was out of her control. She had had no ability to influence the outcome. No say at all. She felt so helpless. _So helpless…_

She rose, started to the phone to call the hospital, check up on Bos. There was a guard staying with him, making sure nothing happened again. She spied a piece of paper crumbled on the floor below the lockers. Thomas's locker. _Must have fallen out of his jacket,_ she thought absentmindedly. She picked it up and poised her hand to throw it away. Something stopped her. Invisible. She smoothed it out. There was a phone number on it. _Better give this to Thomas, might be important._ Then she saw the name on the paper. She stood in shock for a moment.

_"Son of a bitch!"_

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	9. Caught

The Lieutenant's phone rang. "Yeah? Dead? How the hell did that happen? Well, find out. Get an autopsy started as soon as possible. Thanks." He hung up the phone and shhok his head. It had to be someone on the force. That was the only thing that made sense. He looked up as someone knocked urgently on his door. "Come in."

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"Well?" She had taken the paper to Swersky. She wondered why he didn't look surprised. 

"Look at this." He handed her a file. "It's the lab report on Bosco's vest."

She glanced over it. "This says that the vest wasn't Kevlar. I don't understand. I thought it was a really high-powered gun or something." 

He shook his head. "It was a small caliber pistol. The vest was tampered with. Logic tells me by someone on the inside, and this paper pretty much establishes that." He picked up the phone and gave out a few orders.

Faith shook her head. "I can't believe that bastard. Why would he do this? Why? I knew something was up the other day when he came to see Bos."

Swersky looked at her. His eyes sharpened. "When was this? Can you remember what happened?"

She nodded. "Yeah. _Damn_ it, it all fits now. Bos was asking me if he should turn someone in for doing something illegal for a good cause. I think Thomas overheard 'cause he walked in asking to speak to Bos. It all makes sense. Thomas was doing something illegal and Bos knew. He tried to have my partner killed twice! I swear, he's gonna pay." Her eyes were full of fury.

"Do you think I like the fact that he tried to kill one of my best? You think I don't wanna wrap my hands around his throat? Let me handle it, Yokas. I don't want to have to arrest you for obstruction of justice. I'd do it if you tried anything, too." He was serious. "Yokas, I want you to leave before Thomas gets here."

"Why? Do you think I'm scared of that bastard? Huh?" She was pissed.

"No, I just don't want you blowing anything. You're way too volatile." _Understandable,_ he thought. "You'd try to beat the crap out of him the moment he walked in the room."

"Lieu, if you let me stay here I promise I'll be calm." She did it before with Paul , she could do it again with Thomas.

_Knock, knock._

"That's him…I swear, Yokas, you'd better be good. Come in!"

Thomas opened the door and walked in with a questioning air. "You wanted to see me?"

The Lieu nodded. "Sit down." He eyed Faith warningly as he heard her breath hiss between her teeth angrily. "We think you might know something about why Officer Boscorelli was shot." He handed Thomas the lab report. "We also have some evidence linking you to the hit man." 

_This is not happening,_ thought Thomas. Swersky spoke into a radio. Thomas didn't hear what was said. _How could this happen?_ Three officers entered the room. Thomas turned to look at them. He was in a sort of daze. One of them spoke. "Stand up and put your hands behind your head." They took his gun away. Pulled his arms behind his back and started to cuff him. He snapped. "No!" he screamed, trying to pull away. "I didn't want to do it! It's not my fault, she made me do it! It was _her!_" He stopped suddenly. _Hold on there. If you say anything, what happened to Paul could happen to you. Jail's better than a grave._

Faith walked up to him. "Why?" Her eyes seethed in anger. "Tell me, huh, what did Bos ever do to you? How could you do this, you sick bastard!" She punched him in the stomach. Before anyone could stop her. He groaned and fell to his knees, clutching his stomach.

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"We couldn't get anything else out of him." The detective said to Lieutenant Swersky. "Tell me exactly what did he say about 'her'?"

"Umm, he said 'she made him do it, and it was 'her' fault." The Lieu nodded in agreement to Faith's description. 

"Thank you. Good work, Yokas."

She nodded. _It's a start._

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She went to see Bos the next day. He was still hooked up to the ventilator. She sat down. "Hey, Bos? How are you feeling?" She looked at his face. It was still pale. "Stupid question, huh? You must be feeling like hell. I know the feeling. I haven't been able to sleep nights. I keep having nightmares about what happened." She looked at the floor. Changed the subject. "So how do you like having your own guard 24/7? You must be lovin' every minute of it." She laughed. She knew Bos would hate it if he knew. The laugh caught in her throat and she looked down at her partner. Her best friend…

"You'd better never do that to me again, you hear me, Bos? I don't think I could take it." Tears were falling. She broke down and started crying. She didn't want to. _This has been happening way too much lately. I need a break. Or something._

One of the machines Bos was hooked up to started beeping strangely. It grew louder and louder.

"What the hell? Nurse? Nurse! Come here quick, there's something wrong with him! Help!"

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Hehe, another cliffhanger J please continue the r&ring!!


	10. The Second Paper

Cruz was backed into a corner. She was nervous, to say the least. She picked up her phone. Thomas seemed to be keeping quiet for the time being. _I know what I have to do. _It was time to deal with Boscorelli. Permanently. 

----------------------------------------------------------

A nurse rushed in. Faith was frantic. "Please, something's wrong!" she repeated. The nurse checked the machine, adjusting a few knobs. Then she checked Bosco's vital signs. 

"He's going to be ok. The reason the machine did that is because he's coming out of it. He's waking up." She smiled. "You're friend is going to be fine."

"Oh, thank God! Thank you." Faith hugged the nurse. 

The nurse laughed. "Don't thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank the doctor that saved his life."

Faith nodded. "I know. Thank him for me, will ya?" 

"Sure I will, sweetie. Now, after a while, when Officer Boscorelli is fully awake, I'm going to come back and check on him, but until then he's all yours. Just don't let him talk. He'll probably be too tired to do anything anyway." She closed the door behind her and Faith sat down beside her partner, waiting for his eyes to open.

"Hey there Bos. Can you hear me? It's Faith. You know, you're partner who you scared the hell out of. You'd better open your eyes or I'm gonna get pissed. _Really_ pissed, and you know what happens then."

She saw his eyelids moving. "That's it, Bos. Just open your eyes for me, please?"

His eyes finally opened. He looked bewildered. Like a child. He raised his hand to his throat to feel the respirator, then his eyes clouded as waves of pain hit his sore muscles. 

"Easy, Bos. Lay still. You were shot, remember? You have to lay still." She hated to see him in pain. _That look, like a deer in the headlights…_

He looked down at the respirator with questioning. "You have to keep that for a few days. The bullets hit your lung and you need help breathing. Don't mess with it, Bos."

His eyes widened. "What is it? Are you ok?" He moved his head slightly back and forth. "Do you remember what happened? Is that it?" He nodded slightly. Faith caught the motion his hand made. "You want something to write with?" She found the pad of paper and pencil the nurse had left and gently placed them in his hand. He painfully tried to write. "You don't have to do this, you know, Bos." He looked up and glared at her. She tried not to giggle. _That's more like it. The old Bos._

He put the paper down, exhausted. She picked it up. It was hard to make out. She read it out loud. "It had to be her." _There it is again. Who the hell is 'her'?_ She looked up at Bos to ask him. He was asleep. She smiled grimly. _I'm gonna find out, Bos. I promise. _"See ya later." She headed to the station.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Cruz smiled. "Good, I'll meet you there. You'd better not let me down. You know what I can do to you…good." She hung up the phone. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Faith waited. Impatiently. "So, what do you think? I think we're missing something, Lieu. Something big."

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Cruz pulled into the hospital parking lot. She waited in her car until a man walked up. He knocked on the window. She rolled it down. "Don't just stand there, get in. I need to talk to you. You want somebody to see us together?" she hissed. He obeyed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Swersky nodded. "We are missing something. Yokas, when you were talking to Boscorelli, did he say anything, anything at all about who he was talking about? Try to think."

Her brow creased in frustration. Trying to remember the exact words. _Just out of grasp…something…yes…he had said something that didn't register at the time…what was it, damn it? Crap!_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cruz got out of the car. She walked inside the hospital, asked for Bosco's room number. She rode the elevator up to the second floor. She smiled. _It's exciting, a challenge._ She walked up to the guard outside of Bosco's door. Smiled at him. "Hi, I'm Sgt. Cruz. I know Boscorelli. How is he?" She engaged the guard in conversation. He didn't see the shadow sneaking up behind him. 

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I love writing cliff hangers, lol! Keep reviewing and I'll keep writing!!


	11. Her

"Don't try too hard, Yokas. It's harder to remember that way."

Her face was twiseted in concentration. "If I could just remember some of his exact words, I think the rest would come." A glimmer.

"…_is that wrong? Should I just let it go?" _Yes! That was part of it. What else…_ "I hate the thought of her breaking the law…" _Her again. Was that all?

"Bos, if you're asking me this, you already know the answer." 

Then…then what? Thomas…Thomas had come in then. 

_"Excuse, me, Boscorelli?" It was Officer Thomas._

"Yeah? Can't you see I'm busy here?" Bosco snapped. Faith hid a grin. 

"It's about Sergeant Cruz. She had something for me to tell you." 

Faith's eyes opened. "It's her! That's what Bos was trying to tell me! Damn her, I'm gonna kick her ass when I find her!" She hit the door at a run. Swersky jumped up and chased after her. _What the hell's going on?_ "Stop, Yokas! What are you talking about?" She headed into an office.

She stopped so suddenly the Lieutenant had to swerve to avoid hitting her. He landed on top of the desk in the middle of the room. _Crash. _She didn't even notice. 

"She's gone? Where would she be in the middle of her shift?" 

As Swersky picked himself up off the desk, he saw whose it was and suddenly he understood. "Cruz? You think it was _Cruz?"_

Faith felt sick. An all too familiar feeling. "She going to try to kill Bos again. Come on, Lieu, you have to believe me. If I'm right, she'll be at the hospital." 

He hesitated. "If you're wrong, you'll be in a hell of a lot of trouble, you know. You don't have any proof."

"Thomas heard us talking and asked to speak to Bosco. Bosco told him to get lost. Then Thomas said something about Cruz, and Bos was all ears. C'mon, Lieu. What are waiting for? Let's go!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Cruz kept the guard engaged as the man snck up behind him. As he raised his arm, Cruz suddenly yelled. "Look out!" The guard tried to turn around but the gun barrel struck him on the head.

"What the hell was that? What were you trying to do, huh?" He was mad.

"Calm down. If I hadn't yelled, what do you think he would have told the cops when he woke up? Huh? Now just shut your mouth and let's go."

-------------------------------------------------------------

Swersky picked up the radio as Faith sped toward The Angel of Mercy, sirens and lights going. "Hey, Sul? This is Swersky. Get to the Angel of Mercy. I think Cruz is going to try to take out Bosco."

The Lieu's radio buzzed. "This is a joke, right? Very funny. You sound just like Swersky, whoever you are." Faith grabbed her radio.

"It's not a damn joke. It's true. Just shut up and get the hell over there. Now!"

Swersky winced as Faith threaded her way between cars. "Forget the radio, Yokas. Just concentrate on the road, please." He closed his eyes. Ugh. 

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	12. Overdose

55-David's RMP screeched to a halt outside of the hospital doors. Faith flew out with Swersky close behind. Sully's RMP skidded to a stop behind them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Cruz put on gloves before handling the syringe. She pressed the plunger slightly, getting the air bubbles out. "He should be dead in about, oh, 15 minutes." She was so casual about it. Death.

"That long?" The man, Adam, was nervous. 

"Shut up. You can leave now, you know. I've got it from here. Thanks so much for your help."

He nodded. "Anytime, baby." Leering at her. She glared at him. "Get out of here." He held his hands up. "Ok, ok. Geez." He watched as she bent over Bosco and plunged the needle into his arm. Bosco felt it and jerked awake. He didn't know what was happening ar first but when he saw Cruz his eyes widened. "Yeah, it's me, Boscorelli. Too bad you had to find out about me. I'm sorry. I really am. We had some great sex. Well, I'll see you in hell." She depressed the plunger deliberately, releasing it's deadly contents into his bloodstream. He struggled feebly, moaning against the tubes in his mouth, trying to tear them out. She tossed the syringe into a corner.

She turned. "You still here? Never mind. Let's get outta here." As she reached out her hand to open the door, she heard pounding footsteps. Faith's face appeared in the window of the door. Before Cruz could react the door slammed open, hitting her in the face and knocking her on her back. She landed on top of Adam.

"Damn it! I knew it!" Faith took out her gun and kicked Cruz. Hard. "You bitch! What did you do to him? Huh? Tell me, damn you!" She looked at Bos. His body was racked with coughing and blood was coming out of his mouth.

Adam started to get up as Sully and Ty burst into the room with Swerky right behind. "Everyone stay back!" Ty warned nurses.

"Stay down!" Sully yelled. "Turn on your stomach and put your hands behind your head!"

"Yokas, go get a doctor, now!" Swersky pushed her out of the room. There was a crowd of curious onlookers outside the door. Faith pushed her way through them. She could barely see through the tears. 

Sully cuffed the two on the floor. Swersky spied the syringe sitting in the corner. "What was in that, huh, Cruz? What did you inject Boscorelli with?"

"Nothing, smart ass," she grunted. Sully hauled her up. "This is a hospital, you know. They do have those things here. You have no right to do this. I just came to visit Boscorelli and this is what I get?"

Ty was over Bosco's bed. "He needs help. Someone get in here now!"

The doctor hurried in. He saw the bloody needle mark on Bos's arm and knew instantly. "What was he given? He doesn't have much time, I need to know!"

Swerky picked up the syringe and gave it to him. "It was given to him in this." 

The doctor handed it to the nurse. "Have the lab find out what was in that as soon as possible. Fast!" He looked at the nurse beside him. "We'll treat this like a normal OD until we get the results. Let's get him on a gurney."

Sully and Ty took the two to the RMP. "You have no idea how much trouble you guys are in. If he dies you'll have two murders to deal with, his and Paul's. Don't that sound nice? Sorry asses." He opened the door and shoved Cruz inside. She fell over, unable to right herself because of her hands being cuffed behind her. Sully reached in and hauled her upright, then pushed her again. Her head hit the window on the other side. "Oh, I'm sorry, are you ok?" Sully asked said sarcastically. He pushed Adam in after her. 

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R&R!!


	13. Emergency Room

Faith watched the bevy of nurses working with the doctor, trying to save her partner. Tears streamed down her face. Her eyes were swollen from the tears. _Bosco…_Why was this happening to him? He'd been a good partner. _The best._ _He doesn't deserve this. No one should have to suffer like this…_She drew in a shuddering breath. It caught in her throat and she began sobbing. Watching as Bosco struggled on the bed. She could see him moaning…Why didn't they do something? Sweat was pouring off of him. She couldn't stand to see her best friend suffer like this anymore. She turned and ran into Swersky.

"I can't do it anymore, Lieu, I can't watch him suffer anymore, he's got to be all right. What am I gonna do if -"

"Shh, don't say that. You know there's not a tougher guy on the planet than Boscorelli. If anyone was going to pull through, this, it would be him. You know that, don't you, Yokas?"

She closed her eyes against the dark thought that were clouding her brain. "I don't even know what to believe anymore, I'm so confused." 

Swersky looked at her with concern. She had been under so much emotional stress lately. _I hope she's ok._ Her eyes were closed, but tears were still coming. 

She turned to look again. This time she saw the ER team, working feverishly over Bos…_Thank God for them._ She felt some of the heaviness on her heart lessen. They wouldn't let anything happen to Bos if it was in their power to help him. Every time he had had to come to the ER to get checked out, he protested and moaned and groaned about it, and they teased him unmercifully and tried to make him miserable. But they really and truly cared about him, and he cared for them, too, in his own funny way. 

She smiled faintly. _He'd kick my ass if he knew I was doing this to myself. _"When Bos gets out of there and wakes up he's gonna give these nurses hell. Imagine having to take care of Bosco in a hospital bed."

The Lieu was relieved. _Yokas is gonna be fine._

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"Keep trying to flush the drugs out of his system. That'll give us a little more time to find out what the drug was."

A nurse spoke hesitantly. "He's displaying the stypical symptoms of an MDMA overdose, doctor."

He shook his head. "I know that, but there's something off. It's too severe for that."

Bosco was convulsing, sweat pouring off of his body. "His sinus is arrhythmic, doctor. Temp 104, BP's out of the roof."

Another senior doctor raised his voice. "It's MDMA. It's the most common OD in the ER, Ecstasy. Don't be stupid, Roberts. Treat him for an MDMA overdose."

The doctor ignored him and raised his voice. "Find out what the hell is taking the GCMS so long. I need to know what it is." A nurse left.

The senior doctor raised his eyebrows. "I told you what it was, Roberts. You are risking the life of this patient delaying the MDMA treatment. I'll tell you one more time. Start the treatment."

Roberts looked up at the man. "Shut up and get the hell out of here. Every moment you distract my staff is another moment this officer's life hangs in the balance. Now either shut the hell up or leave." 

The older doctor turned to leave. "I'm going to report you, you know."

Roberts didn't even look up. "Report away."

A nurse spoke. "His breathing is increasing in difficulty. Increase oxygen?" He nodded. The muscle spasms were gaining in intensity. 

The nurse rushed in, bumping into the senior doctor. "I have the results of the GCMS analysis." She handed them to Roberts.

He took one glance and resumed working. "It's PMA, guys. We've got to get his BP and temp down."

"Is this treatable?" A new nurse asked. 

He shook his head. "All we can do is keep his HR, BP, and temp down and hope for the best. Thank God the dose wasn't strong enough to be lethal on it's own, but it did interact with the painkillers in his system. If anybody is good at praying, now would be a great time to start."

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Alright, it's review time!!! R&R!


	14. The Gamble

Swersy looked with disgust at the two in front of him. "You know I'm going to throw the book at you two. I'll make sure you never see the world as free people again. You are charged with the murder of Drew Paul, the attempted murder of Maurice Boscorelli, assault against an officer with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence, perjury, and every other thing I can possibly can. 

"Sully," he turned his gaze to the officer. "We don't want to make any mistakes here, so let's go over the checklist again."

"Ok."

The Lieu listed them one by one, and Sully nodded to each one. "Did you Mirandize them?"

Sully thought hard for a moment, then shook his head. "Nope, that wasn't exactly high on my priority list at the time. Sorry."

"Ok, well, that means I get the pleasure. Sergeant Cruz, Officer Thomas, you are both under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you by a court of law…"

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"Ok, guys, keep working on that temp, don't let it climb." Roberts was relentless. _I'm not gonna let this one go…I'm not gonna let this monster take one more person. So help me God… _

**Flashback** 

- _Here, it's not gonna hurt. It's gonna make you feel good." A teenaged Roberts handed the tablet to his brother. _

"What is it?" he asked suspiciously.

"Just a little Ecstasy. Nothing too strong. You'll feel great, I promise." Roberts pulled a similar pill out of a small plastic bag in his pocket. "Here, I'll take one too. See?" he put the pill in his mouth and swallowed it with a gulp of beer.

**End of Flashback**

He shook the thoughts out of his head. _Too painful._

"Doctor, his vitals are getting worse. Temp and BP's rising, heart rate increasing in irregularity. I'm afraid if this keeps up much longer, there'll be serious neurological damage, and he might die."

The words brought another flood of memories back. _Emergency room…doctors working…saying things that he could not understand._

**Flashback**

-_He can't live much longer like this, Doctor." Roberts watched from the corner as they worked over his little brother. "It's all my fault," he moaned, sobbing, still high. "I gave him the wrong one, it's all my fault. It looked just like the other one. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." _

_"It's the only way to save his life. We have to do it," the doctor said._

"But doctor, the drugs could interact with the ones already in his system and kill him." 

"It's the only way. We have to get him relaxed. He is spreading the drugs much faster through his bloodstream by moving around so much, the convulsions are going to kill him. He needs a muscle relaxant." Roberts didn't realize he spoke the doctor's words aloud. 

His brother had died. It had been too late. He had spent his entire life repenting and making up for the emptiness he felt in his soul. _I have to save him…_

"What?" the head nurse asked in surprise.

"You heard me. I'm not going to repeat myself. Just _do_ it. Now."

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Faith watched. There was a prayer running through her head, over and over and over…

__

Please let him live…he's a good person, he doesn't deserve it to end like this…

She watched as the nurse injected Bosco with a drug. Watched as he kept struggling feebly, then fell limply back against the sheets. "No…" she whispered.

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TBC….R&R!!


	15. After

------------------------

Roberts sighed in relief. "His stats are dropping, doctor. Good call," a nurse said. He nodded. "Thank you, people. You guys saved one more life today, you know."

"No, we don't," the nurse smiled, "you did. We just went along for the ride." 

He looked up. A tall male nurse was struggling with Bosocrelli's partner in the doorway, trying to keep her out of the OR. "Let me go, you big ass! Let me see if my partner's ok!"

"He'sgoing to be fine, Officer Yokas," the doctor hurried to her side. She relaxed. There were tears on her eyes, tears of relief. "He's ok? Are you sure? Can I see him?"

He smiled as he led her into the hallway. "Yes, yes, and no, not right now. He needs to rest. His body has been under tremendous strain. He's very lucky to be alive right now. That drug is a killer."

"What was it that she gave him?" Faith questioned.

"A drug called MDMA. It looks and acts just like Ecstasy so it's sometimes mistaken for it. It's deadly. As I said before, Officer Boscorelli is one lucky guy to be breathing right now."

"Thank you, doctor. You've saved his life more than once now and I'm grateful. I don't know what I would do if I lost him." Her voice was hoarse with emotion.

"Well, it's over now. He should be fine, Officer Yokas."

"Call me Faith," she replied automatically.

"Well, Faith, I suggest you go home, take a long hot bath, and sleep." He smiled. "You need it."

Faith smiled. For the first time in a while. A chuckle escaped. "Are you trying to say I look like hell?"

Roberts winked. "I didn't say it." He wrote on a piece of paper. "Here, take this to the head nurse's station. It's a prescription for a mild sleeping aid."

She started to shake her head, but then took it. _What the hell. I haven't slept well in a week._ But as tired as she was, there was somewhere she had to go first. Someone she had to see.

______________________________________________________________

WOW! I haven't updated in a couple of months! Sorry guys, I just had a really busy couple of months there, lots of tests and papers and assignments, one on top of another. Finals week is here, but compared to how busy I've been lately, it's going to be a breeze. This was a short chapter but I'm writing another now. Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing!!


	16. Death

Cruz sat in her cell. Staring at the wall. Not thinking at all. She tried to block the current events from her mind. It was hard because she couldn't believe the mistakes she'd made trying to get rid of Bosco; they were stupid and avoidable. As long as she didn't think, she didn't have to beat herself up for those mistakes. 

__

Clash! The metallic bang made her jump. She looked up to see Yokas standing there. She gulped. The door swung open and Yokas stepped inside. The guard closed the door behind her and walked away. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, trying to sound arrogant as usual, but her voice cracked slightly on the last couple of words. 

"What the hell do you think I'm doing here? You tried to kill my partner, and now I'm going to kill you." There was a cold fury in Faith's eyes that was scaring Cruz.

"You can't do that. There's a guard right outside. He'll know it was you who killed me." There was a certain defiant desperation in Cruz' voice. 

"Don't worry about that, Cruz. I'll just make something up. You're good at that…you got any tips for me?" She fingered the strap that held her gun in place.

"If you try anything, I'm gonna yell to the guard that you're trying to kill me." The defiance was going, and the desperation was taking over.

Faith laughed. Not a happy laugh…a bitter one. "You think the guard, or anyone else in the precinct, for that matter, gives a damn if I shoot you? You tried to kill one of New York's finest. These men and women are part of a team. Not that you would understand anything about that, but they are loyal to each other, they care about each other, and above all, more than anything else, they look out for each other. And you tried to kill one of them. But that wasn't the big mistake you made. You wanna know what your big mistake was? The one you tried to kill happens to be my partner. That was your big mistake. And now you're going to pay for it. Get down."

Cruz didn't understand. Fear was paralyzing her brain. _Get ahold of yourself. You're a cop. You're not supposed to freeze in these situations._

Faith lost patience with her and shoved her roughly to her knees. She pulled the gun out and cocked it, putting the muzzle against Cruz's forehead. Cruz tried to close her eyes, to disassociate herself with what was happening, to block out the large black bulk that she was sure would end her life. Then Faith pulled the trigger.

__

Click. The sound of the empty chamber resounded loudly off the bare concrete walls of the cell. Through the fog in her brain, Cruz heard Faith whisper, close to her ear, "Now you know what it was like for Bos. And the other people you killed. Like the first guy who tried to kill Bos. We know you killed him in his cell. Do you really think I would kill you when you're going to suffer in jail for the rest of your life, along with your little pal "Officer" Thomas? Not a chance." Cruz heard the door clang shut. And she was alone.


	17. Rest

Faith sat beside the hospital bed, watching Bosco as he slept. Usually the look on his face was a bold look, a brave look, an I'm-out-to-show-the-whole-world-I'm-a-big-tough-guy look. Now it was a peaceful look. A calm, quiet look. Faith laughed quietly to herself, as she realized she could count on one hand the times she had seen such a look on his face. 

They had both been through so much the last couple of days, and Faith wondered if their partnership would ever be the same. This was a question only time would answer. 

The heart monitor beeped quietly. _Beep, beep. Beep, beep._ Its rhythm soothed her tired brain and she fell asleep. In the quiet they both rested. Finally.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

She woke suddenly. Noise. Bosco was weakly moving, thrashing in his sleep. The beeping of the heart monitor was fast…too fast. She quickly knelt beside the hospital bed, on the cold floor, and took his hand in hers. With her other hand she gently pushed the wet hair from his sweat-drenched forehead. 

"Shhh, Bos. Everything's going to be ok. I'm here. It's Faith." As she continued her calm reassurance, she saw his features relax and the rapid beating of his heart slowed. Faith sighed. Bos was strong. He would get through this. They both would. _Together._

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Quick update here…I think the next chapter will be the last! ~Chrissy


	18. The End

"For the last time, Bosco, I'm driving! No more arguments out of you. I mean it!" It was his first day back on patrol, one month to the day since the shooting. Faith Yokas was not about to let her partner do anything even slightly hazardous to his health. 

"I'm not a freakin' baby, Faith. Gimme a break!" 

"I know, Bos, but look what happened last time you drove." She was immediately sorry she had brought the subject up. _Way to go, Yokas. _

His face grew grim and he winced in memory of the painful event. 

"Sorry, Bos. That was a stupid thing to say. I'm sorry."

He shook it off. Shook his head. "No, Faith, it's ok. Don't worry about it. You are forgiven.on one condition." That impish grin of his crossed his face. 

She wrinkled her forehead at him. "Oh, yeah? And what's that, mister?" 

"_I_ get to drive. And it ain't negotiable. Deal?"

She shook her head and laughed. "Bosco, you are such a." She trailed off.

"Ah, ah. What were you going to say? 'Bosco, you are such a wonderful person'? Or, 'Bosco, you are such an incredibly hot guy'? Is that what you were going to say? I knew you had a crush on me!"

She lightly punched him in the arm. "Actually, I was going to say, 'Bosco, you are such a pain in ass!'"

He smiled nonchalantly. "I was going to suggest that next. Keys, please."

She unwillingly surrendered them and changed seats with him. "I swear, Bos, if you hit anything, or go over 40 miles an hour, I'm taking over!"

"Of course I won't," he said, peeling away from the curb with all of his usual reckless abandon. 

She rolled her eyes as she held on to the arm of the seat. _Yep, everything is back to normal, alright._


End file.
